Campaigners who want hospital bosses to consult with the public before top-level intensive care beds are removed from Leicester General Hospital have again warned that the trust responsible is leaving itself open to legal challenge.

Those opposing the Leicester hospital trust's plans were left disappointed when discussions concerning the provision’s future were cut short during a recent City Hall meeting.

Plans to remove 12 level three intensive care unit (ICU) beds from the Evington site have been met with criticism from members of the public, who believe they should have been consulted with.

The project was first tabled in 2015, and was deemed urgent so was allowed to be approved without consultation.

But campaigners remain angry that, despite the process being deemed urgent, no changes have been made in the subsequent three years.

They say a consultation should be carried out before work starts and allege that it is part of a wider plan to close down the Evington site as an acute hospital.

Those in charge at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL) say that the move will mean the end of ‘triplication of services’ and result in a safer and improved patient experience.

A recent protest outside City Hall concerned about changes at Leicester General (Image: Leicester Mercury)

But the item, which was listed as urgent business at a recent meeting of the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland joint Health Scrutiny Commission, was cut short after an hour as the meeting’s chair, Councillor Elly Cutkelvin, took a vote on whether the commission should reconvene to discuss the changes in more detail.

NHS bosses Andrew Furlong, the medical director at UHL, Mark Wightman, the trust's director of strategy and communications, chief executive John Adler, and Rakesh Vaja, its head of services critical care, were at the meeting to answer questions on the changes.

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The majority of commission members voted to continue the discussion at a later date, which is yet to be arranged.

But four councillors abstained from the vote, believing they should continue the conversation there and then.

Disgruntled members of the public left the meeting after the decision was made to move on to the next agenda item.

Campaigner Guiliana Foster said: “It’s disappointing because I believe we were almost there.

“No we have to reconvene but when will that be? They will have probably already started building work by then and then it will be too late.

“They found it extremely difficult to answer our questions, I think they were quite ill prepared."

Leicester General Hospital

Campaigners had also asked hospital bosses if they had investigated the trust's legal position around public consultation after a recent High Court Ruling against Corby Clinical Commissioning Group.

The campaigners say that by not asking for public opinion they run the risk of 'a legal challenge that will be costly in time, money and reputation.'

Guiliana added: “And of course we didn’t get an answer to the question that was asked several times about the legal position of the trust in light of them not consulting with the public.”

Shirley Siriwardena added: “I think this signals the beginning of the end for the General and we want assurances that the hospital will still be there after the changes are made.”

Leicester General Hospital (Image: Will Johnston)

Five members of the public had asked NHS bosses about why there had been no public consultation and some asked about what the local NHS’ legal position was. Each question was met with applause and cheering from the public gallery.